Electrical connection means



April 1940. H. J. BLAKESLEE 2,199,022

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION MEANS Filed Sept. 29, 1938 EN EN [N W gm! r@% Patente d Apr. 30, 1940 p Application-.september w, 1938, Serial .No.

ealrgr rlhor oonnt a si nor to names can a w nish a block of some insulatingimater'ial with 1 pairs of spaced plates or other form of conduc-' ductors having means for the attachmentof :line terminals and the other for .each pair ehaving means for the attachment of meter terminals,

and arranging movable means (that can be set to bridge the spacesbetween the contiguousconductors and close the circuit paths, or moved to disconnect the conductors andbe. set with the circuit paths open.

'The object of the present invention is to provide .relatively cheap and easily assembled means of such design and arrangement'zthat th'ecircuit pathsfrom the line conductors to a :meter ..ca'n be eificiently closed with .a minimumlcf contact joints and the circuit paths can be quickly-opened and secured :in safe open-position with a visual showing of the conditionsofthe paths. r This object is attained in the. embodiment of the invention illustrated by fixedly mounting on an insulatingblock one conductor plate and means for clamping a line terminal thereto; for each circuit path, and providing an .-.endofeach meter terminal with a conducting [clamp that .i s movably engaged with theblock and-isladapted in one position to clamp-the meter terminal to a conductor plate and inanother position :to clamp the meter terminaltto :theblock', \spaced from the plate, whereby ineachocurrent'path when closed there are but two detachablecontact jointscm between a linetermina'liand the fixed conductor plate, and the other between atmeter terminal and the fixed conductor plate. I

In the accompanying drawingFig. 1 is'a front View of means that embodies the present \invention, the connector block .havingg='-four.-curr ent paths. two ofwhicharezclosed and two opened, and the meter leadsbeing connected to a meter block. m

1 Fig. 2 is a side view-of the connector block withthe meter block shown :in section.

block on plane denoted by the-dotted line 3+3 on Fig. 1.

Fig. 41s a section through the connector block" on plane denoted by the dottedlineA-A onEig. l; 55 Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof elements of the connector blo ck separated in order to more- 50 The block 6 of insulating material may have tors fixed thereto, one of each pair of such con-' Fig. 3 isa cross section throughthe connector any desired number of current paths, four being illustrated,andiit-has means whereby it may be secured to any suitable support 1'. On the face of the \block in each current path is a conducting plate Q-that isheId in .place bya screw H. ,To the .outer .end of this plate the terminal of a line wire or cable-8 may be tightly secured by a clamp 12 .that is .bound by a nut ill on screw II which passes :througha perforation 3! in the ,top of the clamp; :The .clampis desirably trough shaped so las-..to span the. terminal and also span azrib lilonthe block; The perforation 3| in the clamp is somewhat larger in diameter than the screw ;l;l, and Iaround-this-the clamp is slightly wise and adjust itself to terminals of difierent SiZQS'WithOut-strainon the screw. At the inner end of :the clampgthere is across web 29 which bears against the conductor plate 9 and limits the amount of length,.wise tip of the clamp when the binding nut is turned down. Indentations 14 are :made in thertop of the clamp plate to fqrmspurs 13 whi h wi pr je betwe n t e st and .of a cab e'lin condu to in a t holdof .the clamp on the :terminals.

. I{he innerend of the fixed conductor plate 9 is forked and in theblock under the fork is a cavity 15 which is somewhat-wider'tl an the widthlof the opening intheqforln Extending-across and fastened to the-top of the block 16 opposite the jerked ends ofthe -plates 9'is a strip 230i insu lating .material. This strip has notches 22 in t e e ep qs th i qrk d nds o t plates a the for openings and-the strip notches being of substantially the same width and .in the same pie B lo theotch h Strip v23 n teemin ea. cavity-2 0;. p l fl-The meter leads 24, Whether braided, stranded or solidgare .moreor lessflexible. The upper ends .ofthe'leadsma y be attached to the meter block ,21 by the usual; means, --t-he means shown being conductingsochets 2 6 in the meter block and bindi gsc1;ews;25.fl The lower ends of the meter ;le a ds are tipped with conducting clips L9. 'If-h rqugh;the clips pass screws .I] that have heads H1 atwtheir inner ends .and'llbinding nuts 18 itinuationpf the cavity i8 is a th aded o nfltheir outer ends. The bodies of the lflkzare sized to pass .into and out of the forlged open ngs inthe plates ,9 and notches in thestr-ip 23,;wl 1ile'the heads of the screws are fitted to s d b ck sn t i e h Cavities Tb lowt or and av tie a r t e notches without-beingremoyabletherefrom. Mhentheseelements are assembled for usethe domed,- as .at 3.0, so as to permit it to :tip length- I nuts'im maybe loosened preferably by a socket wrench28, and the terminals slid by the wrench either into the'forks I5 of the plates 9 and then tightened to close the current paths, or slid into the hatches 22 in the strip 23 and tightened to hold the circuits open, depending upon the condition of circuits desired.

With the arrangement illustratedthe circuits may be opened or closed by moving the terminals of the meter leads out of or into engagement with the conductor plates to which the line conductorsv are connected. This is effected by manipulating the terminal binding means and-without the pro vision of any intermediate movablebridging conductors and without disconnecting the meter leads from the block. Testing instruments may and edge of said insulation channel covering, means for attaching a line terminal to said conducting member, a flexible conductor that is longer than the distance between said fixed conducting membar and the meter and has "an end adapted to be connected to the meter and an end movable into and out of contact with said conducting member, and clamping means swivelly attached to and movable with said flexible conduct-orend longitudinally of said channel between'said insulation channel covering and the adjacent end of said conducting member, said clamping means when tightened in one position clamping said flexible conductor end in direct contact with' the fixed conducting member and when tightenedin another position clamping :said' flexible conductor end in engagement with said insulation channel covering. V 2. Electrical testing means designed to be interposed between line terminals and a meter, which comprises a block of insulation, a conducting member fixedly mountedon said block, means for attaching a line terminal to said conducting member, a flexible conductor that islonger than the distance between said fixed conducting mem-'- bar and the meter and has an end adapted to be connected to the meter and an end movably attached to said block, said latter end being movable into and out of contact with said conducting member, and clamping means swivelly attached to and movable with said flexible conductor end and adapted when loosened to be utilized for moving said flexible conductor end into and out of engagement with said fixed conducting member, said clamping means when tightened in one position clamping said flexible conductor end directly against the fixed conducting memberand when tightened in another position clamping said flexible conductor end directly against the block.

3. Electrical testing means designed to be iriterposed between line terminals and a meter, which comprises a block of insulation having a channel open to one edge below its front face, said block having a portion over the outer end of said channel which portion has a notch of less width than the width oi the channel, aligned with the channel, a conducting member fixedly mounted on said block, said conducting member having an end with a notch of less width than andextending over said channel adjacent to and aligned with thejsaid notched portion of the block, means for" attaching a line terminal to 5 said conducting member, a flexible conductor that is longer than the distance between saidfixed Liconductingimember and the meter and has an I end adapted to be connected to the meter and an endfiriovably attached to said block, said latter ,geri'clf v eing movable into and out of contact with be connected directly to the meter leads by, attaching the instrument leads'tothe means em-.'

said conducting member, and a screw and nut attached' to and movable along the block lengthwise of saidchannel from notch to notch with said flexibleconducto-r end, said screw and nut when tightened in one position clamping said flexible conductor end in direct contact with the fixed conducting member and when tightened in another position clamping said flexible conductor end in engagement with the block; i

4. Electrical testing means designed to be interposed between line terminals and a meter, comprising a block of insulation having recesses in its front face and a strip of insulating material with notches in its inner edge detachably secured 5 over. said recess, conducting members fixedly mounted on said block, said conducting members having forked ends projecting over said recesses and aligned with said notches, flexible conductors having ends ,adaptedzto be connected to the meter and endsadapted to bemoved into and out of engagement'with said conducting members, bolts swivelled to said latter ends, the heads of said bolts being movable back and forthin said recesses andthe shanks of saidboltsbemgmovable intoand out offthenotches in said strip of insulation 'and forkedends of said fixed conductors, andnuts on said boltsiadaptedto clamp the ends of flexible conductors in one position to the forked ends-50f the fixed conductors and in another 40 position to. said insulating'st'r'ip; I a

5. Electrical testing means designed to be interposed between line terminals and a metercomprising a blockof insulation having recesses in its front face and a strip of insulating material with notches in its inner edge, detachably secured over said recessesxconducting members fixedly mountedion saidiblock, said conducting members havingXfo-rked ends'p'rojecting over said recesses and aligned with said notches, bolts having heads movable backxand forth in said recesses and shanks movable into and out of the notches in said strip of insulation "andzthe forked ends of said fixed conductors, and nuts on said bolts adapted to clamp the'bolt's when in one position to the forked'en-ds of the fixed conductors and when in another position to said insulating strip.

6. Electrical testing means designed to be interposed between line terminals and a meter which comprises a blockaof insulating material, a 50 conducting .member fixedly mounted on said block, a binding unit consisting of a bolt and nut attached to and movable along said block toward and from said lfixediconductor, and a flexible meter lead with one end-swivelled to said binding 55 unit and. movable therewith whereby said swivelled lead end may be carried by said binding unit into :or out of engagement with said fixed conductor and fastened in either position.

' .HENRY J. BIiAKESLEE. 

